Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 897 consumer complaints across the 12 model years of the Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 (2002–2013) that have at least 5 complaints. 2003 has the most, with 182. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (226 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Avalanche 1500 years →
All Avalanche 1500 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 29 | 49,688 | 1 | 393 | 50 · Typical | Falling |
| 2012 | 16 | 62,000 | 0 | 335 | — | Stable |
| 2011 | 28 | 50,000 | 2 | 342 | 56 · Typical | Stable |
| 2010 | 6 | 112,500 | 0 | 311 | — | Not enough data |
| 2009 | 20 | 72,500 | 0 | 223 | — | Stable |
| 2008 | 37 | 50,000 | 0 | 246 | 40 · Typical | Falling |
| 2007 | 113 | 73,000 | 1 | 290 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2006 | 39 | 84,000 | 1 | 726 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2005 | 129 | 62,450 | 1 | 562 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2004 | 144 | 79,500 | 0 | 429 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2003 | 182 | 89,000 | 0 | 395 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 154 | 97,500 | 0 | 331 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system226 25%
- Brakes215 24%
- Air bags147 16%
- Other or unknown95 11%
- Body and structure71 7.9%
- Transmission and drivetrain62 6.9%
- Steering43 4.8%
- Fuel system41 4.6%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2002: “Turning into my driveway, slowing down, applying brakes, the pedal went to the floor, no resistance, park brake didn't ,help almost hit my garage, steered toward garden landscape ties, that stopped me, looked under truck, large puddle of brake fluid dripping , both brake lines from the master cylinder to the ABS were rusted badly and dripping.”
NHTSA complaint #11093856, filed 2018-05, 195,000 miles2003: “I am a new owner of a 2003 avalanche, I was satisfied with my purchase but my soonroof falls under the appropriate serial numbers (6,000,000-6,300,000) recall states that it may be covered by the company webasto hollandia. Vehicle is fine to drive places but sunroof must be fixed for coming winter. It worries me as there's a slight danger of it causing a road hazard if it were to fall out.”
NHTSA complaint #11384649, filed 2020-12, 150,000 miles2008: “Takata recall . I've contacted at least 2 Chevrolet dealerships in my area and asked them both to contact me asap , since they both claimed no parts were available. Neither have contacted me since and I made the 1st phone call last year. It seems as though Chevrolet has no true intentions to fix my airbag issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11042058, filed 2017-11, 140,000 milesOther Chevrolet models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology